Wednesday, March 28, 2012

Trouble in Paradise?

Larry Shaffer fist bump. About to butt heads with the Mayor

Former Amherst, Massachusetts Town Manager now Jackson, Michigan City Manager Larry Shaffer had a hilarious quote in yesterday's local paper: "I don't give up easily" asserted Shaffer in response to the city council reversing a yes vote he supports on an expensive solar energy project for their waste water treatment plant.

Mayor Martin Griffin strongly opposes the initiative saying, "I hope the project is dead." Interesting power struggle. Since Jackson has a Council/Manager form of government, the Mayor is apparently more of a figurehead than actual CEO. But, nevertheless, Mayor Griffin looks like a strong guy who takes tough stands (slumlords want him recalled over a rental registration law he supported).

Mr. Shaffer, on the other hand...

Let's see, he took a strong stand on requiring Boy Scouts pay a tax on Christmas Tree sales, a beloved annual (tax free) town tradition for 60 years. He tried to withhold the parade permit for the privately organized July 4 Parade to create a competing municipal parade that would embrace war protesters. And he supported the Select Board's annual refusal to fly 29 commemorative American flags in the downtown to remember the horror of 9/11.

Best of all, he railroads the Select Board into giving him a two year extension on his contract and then only a few months later, suddenly, decides to "retire," to Michigan, leaving behind his wife here in Amherst. Meanwhile his secretary concurrently vanishes with a $25,000 taxpayer payout nobody wishes to talk about.

Doesn't give up easily, eh? I guess it depends on how you define "easily".

Who cares about what Larry Shaffer is doing now? Once you get a bug up you a** about something, Larry, you just can't let it go. Earth to Larry - nobody cares about this. Let it go already.

Finally, where is your reporting about Ron Ferguson's visit to the Amherst Regional school system yesterday? A nationally renowned expert in the area of methods to address the achievment gap and you have nothing to write about it? Having Dr. Ferguson spend a day meeting with administrators, teachers, students and parent and other community members was a huge "get" for our community and not a peep out of you about it. Oh I know, it's so much more fun to just denigrate the schools and Ms. Geryk then to report on anything positive going on there.